As summer comes to a close, educators return to school with new vigor and ideas for the upcoming year. For myself, as a middle school science teacher, I would like to see continued effort by teachers AND students to improve achievement, and citizenship through service learning.

Service learning is a great way for kids to connect with their community OUTSIDE the classroom, while applying classroom concepts to the real world. There are many barriers to doing this - bus and substitute funding, and the sheer number of students that need to be transported and directed (for me, nearly 160 students). I can say from experience that these are the kinds of learning that students remember, and can be inspired by - not the drill and practice standardized testing classroom, with stark walls and right and wrong answers.
The cool thing about service learning is that EVERYBODY learns from the experience - students, teachers and parents.

Kids at this age want to know how the world works, and how they fit in. Service learning is a great way to accomplish the need.

I want to see California fully fund schools and I want the people of T.O. to DUMP DUNN! I live in Westlake and I can't stand him!

We really need a sports magnet high school, someplace for the kids who are more interested in sports to go. These are the kids who are going to get full scholarships to college. They need a school that is more balanced between sports and school work.